SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College dropped both of its matches on Saturday at the Springfield Men's Volleyball Showcase, falling to Eastern Mennonite (3-1) and Westminster (Mo.) (3-0) at Pam Evans Smith Arena.
The Warriors (3-8), who hit .172 with 44 kills, 22 errors, and 128 attempts, fell to the Royals in their opening match by scores of 25-16, 25-14, 22-25, 25-21. WLC held just one lead throughout the first two sets, before using a 4-0 run midway through the third set to never relinquish its lead. Wisconsin Lutheran clung a 20-19 lead in the fourth set, but EMU scored six of the final seven points close out the 3-1 win.
Freshman
Noah Kern (Brookfield, Wis.) led the Warriors with 12 kills and freshman
Brady Pichler (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) posted his second double-double of the season with 11 kills and 10 digs. Seniors
Jay Thammavongsa (Franklin, Wis.) and
James Biedenbender (La Crosse, Wis.) tallied 19 and 14 assists, respectively. Thammavongsa also added four of the team's six service aces. Junior
Trevor Salutric (Lockport, Ill.) collected a match-high 15 digs.
Andre Mills recorded a match-high 23 kills for Eastern Mennonite (6-5), which hit .307 with 54 kills, 15 errors, and 127 attempts.Â
WLC dropped a tight three-set contest to the Blue Jays in its final weekend match by scores of 25-19, 26-24, 25-19. WC survived 28 ties and nine lead changes across the three sets. Pichler finished with a match-high 15 kills for Wisconsin Lutheran, which hit .101 with 35 kills, 23 errors, and 119 attempts. Biedenbender led the Warriors with 14 assists, while Thammavongsa tallied his first double-double of the season with 13 assists and a match-high tying 14 digs. Kern also collected a season-high 14 digs.
Derrick Turner totaled 12 kills and Jake Schawo-McAlister registered a double-double of 28 assists and 12 digs for Westminster (8-9), which hit .224 with 36 kills, 12 errors, and 107 attempts.
WLC opens Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play on Tuesday when it hosts Marian (7-5, 1-0 NACC) at Time of Grace Center. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
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